8.22.2015

A couple of weeks ago I told you about how Snoopy is the official spokesdog for National Library Card Sign-Up Month 2015. If your library uses library cards, you have to check out the cooler than cool Snoopy library card artwork that you can request (by emailing LibraryCard@Peanuts.com) for your new cards. All the stir about Snoopy, the upcoming Peanuts Movie, and a Snoopy t-shirt I just received from my dearest for my birthday all inspired me to deck out our library in Snoopy swag for the new school year. I'm not sure that I'm completely done, but the library is ready for classes to begin on Monday. Here are a few peeks into our space.

The Peanuts Gang's love of libraries is made clear through many of Schulz' comics. Our entrance is decked out with favorite Peanuts library quotes paired with Peanuts character cutouts. The quotations are typed using Peanuts font, which is available for free.

8.10.2015

Today is Snoopy's 65th birthday. His career as the adorable, would-be-writer beagle in Charles Schulz' comic classic, Peanuts has been long and distinguished. In addition to reaching this milestone and having a new movie debut this year, in November, he will also fill an important roll this September as the official spokesperson (spokesdog?) for National Library Card Sign-Up Month.

If you are a Peanuts fan, you know that Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the whole Peanuts Gang are not just adorable and funny, but they have been lifelong supporters of libraries. Even though we don't use library cards at my school library, Snoopy and friends are going help spread the love of books and reading with our little readers. You too can have Snoopy as your library or classroom's official advocate using these great resources and ideas.

6.19.2015

June 19, 2015 is the 150th anniversary of the day Union soldiers arrived in Texas to announce that slavery had ended. This historic occasion took place more than two years after Abraham Lincoln gave his Emancipation Proclamation.

Let students discuss what it would have been like to send and receive notes through the post office or a telegraph machine instead of today's rapid forms of communication such as text messaging and email.

Use students' enthusiasm about Valentine's Day to get them reading by creating a display of books about love and friendship.

After all that learning, it will be time for some sweets. For an easy and impressive treat that children can help prepare, smoosh slice-and-bake chocolate chip cookie dough around store-bought sandwich cookies and bake in muffin tins according to cookie dough instructions.

You can make these cookie-stuffed cookies with any type of sandwich cookie, but using the limited edition Red Velvet Oreos and some seasonal sprinkles will make these extra festive.